Blood and Lust
by CrazyKindaGurl
Summary: After everyone's best efforts, it has happened; Elena Gilbert is dead. But by some miracle, she had vampire blood in her system. Making the decision to turn, Elena has no idea of what dangers will follow. With Stefan refusing to look at her, Damon's feelings growing daily, Tyler acting odd and something not quite right with her vampire body, what will happen? -Post s3- M for smut.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Blood and Lust.

Chapter One: The Beginning.

**_A/n; Hey guys, a new story but with a bit of a difference. This is actually co-written, as it was originally a roleplay, which I am still carrying out. I am writing the Damon parts, and my friend, Trisha, is writing the Elena bits. That's why in some places, it's a bit more disjointed than a normal story, but it's good all the same. We have a very good plot going on here, and my Tumblr followers really liked what I showed them, so we decided to post it here! I'm splitting what we already have into chapters to post, while we continue to roleplay it out. So let us know what you think, and stuff! :3 Set straight after the season 3 finale. Rated M for later smutty chapters. Enjoy c:_**

She was dead. After everything they'd done, everything they'd been through, she was dead. Keeping Elena alive had been Damon Salvatore's goal for three years now. And he'd failed. Except, she wasn't fully dead. Instead, she was a vampire - the one thing he might insist he loved being, but secretly missed. More than anything in the world. The one thing, he knew, that Elena never wanted. Would she even complete the transition? She had to, right? Damon couldn't bear the thought of living - or not, as the case may be - without her. It just wasn't possible. Still, if they'd only let him in, let her see her… The vampire had been waiting in the 'relatives waiting room' at the hospital for the past few hours. Meredith had insisted he stayed away from Elena, for now - as she adjusted to being in transition, got her thoughts together. The fact that she'd soon remember everything she had been compelled to forget - them meeting first, him telling her he loved her - wouldn't help, but Damon wouldn't admit that to the doctor. He didn't need more reasons to not be able to see her.

Stefan wasn't allowed in, either. Nobody was. But he'd gone off, not able to sit and wait like his brother. Damon would. He would wait forever, for her. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Meredith appeared. "She's asking for you," she said simply. That was all it took. The vampire was up in a second, following the doctor through. Elena was sat in a hospital bed, looking pale, and rather sick. That would all go when she fed - _if _she fed. She had to, though. He'd make sure of that. Taking a seat by the side of her bed, they were left alone. Damon was silent, unsure what to say. Did she remember yet? Everything? What would she think, if she had? "Hey," he greeted eventually, glancing at her vacant stare. It was like she was empty. Gone. Maybe it was the shock. "Has Stefan been here yet?" It probably wasn't the best thing to ask, but Damon couldn't help himself.

"I need to call Stefan, but my phone is dying." Elena had said, and when Matt graciously handed his over to hers she took it gently, "Thanks." she turned her attention back to the road and let out a yelp. "Matt! Look out!" Matt's car swerved off to the right, and was flung over the bridge, plunging into the water. The car was sinking fast, and as it sank deeper and deeper, the more fear set into Elena's body. It was just like the night with her parents. Except this time, she wasn't going to make it. There would be no fairy tale ending. Taking a moment from trying to pry off the seat belt, she glanced over at Matt. In the car's window she saw Stefan looking in, a wave of hope and relief washed over her. Her features changed as he threw off the door, and tried to grab Elena. She shook her head, and motioned to Matt. She wanted him to be saved first. Stefan reluctantly obliged. Several more moments passed, the air had finally left her lungs, and she was just drifting, waiting. Waiting to die. She wasn't afraid though, she knew it had been coming. The blackness that overcame her next was sudden and quick. She was gone.

When she awoke in the hospital, it had come as a complete shock to her. Gasping for air, she looked around. Meredith had stood next to her bedside, waiting, watching her. "Elena," came her calm voice. Her head whipped over quickly to look at Meredith directly. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice rough and scratchy. After having Meredith explain, she gave her some time alone, to collect her thoughts, which she did. The second time Meredith came in to check on her, she grabbed her hand gently. "Can I see him?" she asked, as if she knew Damon was out there, waiting for her. Within a moment, Damon had entered the room, her eyes fell upon on him vacantly. She turned her head slowly to look at him, she forced a weak smile, "Hey.." she whispered gently.

"Elena, I…" Damon trailed off, unsure what to say. He'd experienced so many different emotions in recent times, but none like the last few hours. Fear that he would die. Disappointment when she chose Stefan. Then, when she died… Anger. Grief. Despair. Thinking there was no point in existing now she was gone. And then, when he arrived, only to find she was in transition… There were just so many emotions. He'd always said he could just flip a switch, and had, for a while. But Elena had made him more human than he had been in centuries, and now, he couldn't go back. Couldn't go back to not caring at all. Because he loved Elena, more than he'd ever loved anything or anyone. Even more than Katherine.

"What happened?" Damon managed to ask eventually, blue eyes searching her brown. "Meredith said you were with Matt, but that Stefan pulled him out… He pulled him out first, didn't he? He left you, in a sinking car, to die. How could he do that? How is it possible to do that, when the one you love is dying? How could he?" The vampire's voice shook with emotion, and he got to his feet, beginning to pace the room. "You…why…how could he do that? How could he let this happen?" He lunged his hand at a small cabinet, knocking a stethoscope and other instruments to the floor, running a hand through his hair. "I thought you were dead, Elena. I thought you were gone! I thought…I thought I'd lost you forever." Damon's voice broke, and he finally sat down again next to her, head in his hands. "You need to feed, Elena. You - you're going to, right? You're going to feed? You have to. You feed or you die - there is no door number three. You have to. I can't lose you, Elena."

Elena sat up in the bed slightly, her eyes never once leaving his. He looked hurt, broken, scared and confused. It was because of her, she had done this. Maybe if she had let Stefan save her first…-No, Elena, stop it! She thought to herself. You couldn't let Matt die, you made the right choice. Then why did it feel like she hadn't? Her attention was brought back to the man in front of her when he had smashed his hand through a cabinet, medical equipment scattering onto the floor. "Damon, Damon." she said, trying to reason with him logically. "Damon!" she said. When he sat back down next to her, she watched him. She wasn't ready to make her decision, she didn't want to make one, but she had to.

"Stefan..you can't blame him," she began. "Okay, you can't." Running a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath. "If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. Alright." Her eyes locked with his, and she felt like she could see into his soul, feel his pain, heartache, confusion. Tapping her finger against her thigh gently, she continued on. "This isn't Stefan's fault. It's my own. I told him to save Matt first, I wouldn't let him save me, until he did." Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. "I was supposed to die, Damon. I wasn't supposed to wake up again, I should have died." She finished_. 'You are going to feed right?_' His words replaying over and over in her mind. Cocking her head to the side slightly, she sighed. "I shouldn't have come back. I should have died, but since I did come back, that means I've been given another chance." A small sigh of despair escaped her lips. "I'm not going to leave Jeremy, I'm all he's got left. So, to answer your question?" she said, making sure they made eye contact now. "Yes, I am. I'm going to turn." she finished, swallowing thickly.

Damon ran a hand through his hair, unable to think straight. This was all just one big mess. At first, they thought he was about to die, and then when Ric fell to the floor, showing Elena was dead… The whole world had stopped moving. The mantra of 'you are not dead, you are not dead' had been repeated many times, but the truth was undeniable. How he drove back the two hour journey without crashing the car, when half the time he could barely see, was a miracle. But here she was, alive. Well…if you could call it that. The fact was, he never thought they'd see each other again, get to talk like this. But they were. Just not under usual circumstances. He lifted his head to meet her gaze, shaking his head slightly. "I thought I was never going to see you again. When Alaric fell to the ground, dying, I…" The vampire shook his head, voice shaking at the end where he trailed off.

"Yes, Elena, I can blame him. It might have been your choice, but that's the difference between my brother and I. You make decisions and he lets you. I make them for you. I have said it before; I'll be the one to keep you alive. And I was right. And now the world has one more quarterback. Just what we needed." Damon scowled, but it disappeared as she started to speak. For a moment, he thought she was going to refuse. Refuse to turn, refuse to feed. Just die. But then she continued, and he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god," he replied hoarsely. "It's going to be okay, Elena. I'll help you. We all will. Caroline's been through it not long ago, and me and Stefan…well, he might not be the best teacher of self control right now, and neither would I be, but we can help you. It'll be okay," he insisted. The vampire reached out, taking her hand in his. "Take in a deep breath. Do you smell that? Smell the blood? There are blood bags, all over this place. We can have Meredith get some, but do you smell it? You want it, right? It feels wrong, yet somehow so right…" Damon was eager to help her, to tell her what to expect, make sure she wasn't in this alone.

Elena shook her head, this was all too much. Too much to take in, after she had told Damon she was going to turn he started telling her that he'd help, Caroline could help her, Stefan wouldn't be able to due to his lack of self control. "Stop." she said suddenly. "Just stop. Give me a minute to think.." she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her head whipped up suddenly as she a strong scent hit her sense. It was warm, sweet, rich, intoxicating. Yet there was this fear in her mind telling her it was wrong to have it, that she shouldn't indulge in it. Was that her last bit of humanity left? Her attention turned to Damon then, "Yes. I smell…something. Though I can't be entirely sure if that's it." she said, watching him. "All I know is that, I'm starving." she began. "But every time Meredith tries giving me food, I just…won't eat it. Almost like, I can't." she shrugged,

It was then the door opened and Meredith snuck in, "How's she feeling?" she asked looking to Damon. He simply nodded, and she knew. "You've made the choice to turn, Elena?" she asked looking at her. Elena nodded her head slowly, "I can't leave Jeremy. I'm the only family he has left." she said, using that as her excuse to turn. Meredith slowly brought out something from behind her back, a blood bag. Elena set her eyes on it, and she knew she wanted it. Badly. When Meredith gingerly gave it to her, she snatched the bag out of her hands, her eyes found Damon's then. "I'm scared." she whispered.

Damon fell silent at her words, knowing this had to be overwhelming for her. His eyes never left hers as she thought things through, knowing she must be in a pretty confused state right now. When she smelt the blood, his body stiffened, and he nodded. They had to be on the defensive, just in case the urge became too much, and instinct took over, making her attack the nearest human she found on her rampage. "It will be. If you can smell it, and you want it, that's blood," he said simply. At her words, the vampire nodded slowly. "That's your body. It's in transition. Your human part wants to be fed, but the vampire part is more dominant, and it transfers your need for food, into a need for blood. You have to eventually give in, or…you die." He shrugged. If only it was that simple. Live or die. But no, it was definitely not simple, in anyway shape or form.

Damon took over when Meredith came in, nodding and knowing she would understand. He smelt the blood a second before she produced it, passing it to Elena. Her words, those eyes…he just wanted it to all go away. At least she had someone to teach her, someone who understood, though. He too never wanted this. It took a while to find his voice, but finally he did. "Meredith. You should go outside. Make sure nobody human comes in here. When she starts to feed, if you're in here…it's dangerous."

The doctor looked reluctant, but after looking to Damon and Elena and back again, she nodded, and left the room. Now that they were alone, Damon moved his chair closer to hers, taking her hand in his. "I know what it's like. I know you're scared, and why. But you have me. I'm not leaving you. I'm here until the very end." He smiled faintly, quoting her words from when he was dying. "You want the blood. I know what it is like. Just…give in. Instinct will do the rest. You're gonna feel a lot of changes in your body. Your emotions will go haywire for a while - probably already are. Once you feed, your fangs will appear. This will hurt for only a few moments. Concentrate on feeding, but know you'll have to stop when the bags are finished. I can help you, Elena. I will. You don't need to be afraid." The vampire wanted to be honest with her, have her know exactly what to expect.

Her hands clutched the bag a bit tighter, as Damon spoke. Now as she looked down at the bag, and the contents inside of it she began to rethink her decision slightly. Glancing at Damon she nodded, " I need you to know this." she began softly, setting the bag aside for a moment. "While there's still that little shred of humanity left in me, fighting to get out, I need you to know." she said, taking his hand in hers. " I never made my choice." her eyes locked with his. "I just need you to know, what my choice is. Because, I know the minute I feed? I won't be myself anymore. The Elena that you knew, the human Elena, she's dead. Gone. This Elena, however is completely different though." she sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

" When I called you, before everything…" she began. "That was human Elena's choice, so in all technicalities, this is my choice. The real Elena's choice." she said softly. She felt as if she wasn't make much sense, and maybe she wasn't, but he'd understand her. " I…I choose you, Damon." she whispered. Before she gave him a chance to respond she ripped the tab off the blood bag, the scent hitting her in strong waves. "Bottoms up." she said a bit shakily. She took a sip, and then another. By her third sip of the dark red liquid, her gums started to ache, and she reached a hand up to clench her jaw as a pain erupted in her mouth, a small whimper escaping her lips.

It was beginning.


	2. Chapter 2: Changing

Chapter Two: Changing.

**_A/n: Thank you all for the feedback, favouriting and adding to your aletts so far! We both appreciate it a lot. This is the most response I have ever gotten for a story so quickly, so thank you! Keep it coming. Updates should be regular, as we are so far along in our roleplay, that we probably have like ten chapters worth already XD Hope you enjoy this just as much as we enjoyed playing it out..and be ready for you Delena feels to explode! We're good at doing that. ;D_**

As Elena began to speak, Damon felt emotions begin to stir up in him. What was she saying? Did he really let himself dare to hope...? She'd chosen Stefan, right? It was Stefan. It was always going to be Stefan. So what was she saying? What did she mean? "E-Elena," he interrupted, voice shaking with emotion. "What do you mean? You'll still be...I mean, you are...you're always going to be Elena. We can get you back, we..." But he trailed off as she continued to speak, mouth agape slightly. If she still wanted Stefan...why was she saying this? Did he let himself think, even for a second, that it was him she wanted? It couldn't be. "Maybe if you and I had met first." That's what she'd said. Then did that mean that she remembered? That the particular memory of them meeting had come back already? It could in transition, or when you fully turned. Did she...?

Her next sentence was one he knew he would always remember. Talking about their phone call, which had more than broken his heart, and saying that wasn't her real decision, meant... And then she said it. 'I choose you, Damon.' For a moment, the vampire was completely still as he let it sink in. "Y-you what?" he asked, similar to what he'd replied to Meredith when finding out Elena had died with vampire blood in his system - his blood, in fact. Before Damon could say anything though, she had ripped the bag open and begun to drink. He tried not to inhale the scent, knowing now was not a time for blood lust. Instead, he watched on a little helplessly. When she whimpered in pain, he took her free hand in his again, squeezing it lightly, wanting to do anything to help, even though she was probably much too far gone... "It's alright, Elena. It's okay," Damon said quietly, though it was probably pointless, comforting him more than her really.

Elena let a small growl pass through her lips, as the pain became unbearable. "Make it...stop, Damon." she said, when she found that she was able to speak again. She could lightly feel his hand in hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Lifting up the bag slowly, she continued to drink the rest. Suddenly, all the pain just stopped, and where her canines should have been, sharp fangs protruded instead. Her eyes, instead of the once chocolate brown they used to be, where now completely red, and veins sprawled out underneath. She turned to look at Damon, and a growl escaped her lips. "Move." she hissed. When Damon wouldn't budge she moved slightly, she had blood. But she wanted more, fresh, warm. And straight from the source.

Suddenly, at a supernatural speed she wasn't used to, she was up out of bed, and by the door. Though, Damon was faster as he stood in front of her. "Move, Damon." she hissed. Her eyes watched him carefully, she found her escape and pulled open the door, escaping out into the hallway. The first person she saw was Meredith. "Elena...what are you doing?" she heard her ask, but over all that she could hear the beating of her heart, the blood racing through her body.

"I just...needed your help."

"Help? With what? Elena, are you okay?" Meredith asked.

"I will be." she said, and lunged forward her teeth sinking into her neck.

Damon was helpless. He hated seeing her in pain. It was over before he could say or do anything, though. Seeing her face like that was a shock. Sure, he should be used to it, but this was Elena. She didn't look exactly like Katherine, either, which didn't make sense - it must have been the straight hair, and the fact that he _knew _this was Elena. But his Elena, human Elena...she wasn't supposed to look like this. Her growl was even worse. Damon anticipated her move a second before she did so, rushing to the door just before she reached it. He couldn't stop her though and before he knew what was happening, she had moved past him, out of the door, and into a big hospital, full of humans - and blood. "Elena, no!" he shouted, but it was too late.

Damon rushed after her, reaching her a second before it happened. Just in time to watch everything happen; to see her lunge and sink her teeth into Meredith's neck. The vampire followed her, grabbing hold of Elena and pulling her back. It was hard, as she was strong and he hadn't fed in a while, but he was older. Damon pulled her, pining her against the wall as she struggled, wanting to get to Meredith. "Elena! Elena, look at me, focus! It's Meredith. You're going to hurt her. You're going to kill her! Think about what you're doing. Snap out of it, Elena!" He grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him, but the blood lust was still within her. Meredith was gasping on the floor, but soon got to her feet, hand on her neck, face pale white. "Run! Get out of here. Don't let anybody come up here, okay? Run!" Damon shouted, yelling the last word faster. It didn't take her long, and soon Meredith was running, out of the corridor. Thankfully, this part of the hospital was empty - it was late at night.

Blood. Warm, fresh, sweet, rich and intoxicating. That's all Elena could think about. Plunging her teeth deeper into Meredith's neck she groaned in satisfaction, the sweet liquid running down her throat. Suddenly, she was pulled away. Like a wolf being pulled away from its first meal in days, she snarled and turned to face whoever held her in their grasp. Seeing it was Damon she cocked her head to the side. "Let. Me. Go." she growled. All he did was try reasoning with her, telling her that she was going to kill Meredith. Her eyes fell on Meredith the whole time she pressed her hand to her neck, the blood dripping onto the floor. Drip, Drop. And then, Meredith running down the hall towards the exit sign and leaving.

Wiggling out of Damon's grasp she sent him a glare. "Why...would you do that?" she hissed. Her eyes locked on his, her eyes fading back to their normal brown, whilst her fans retracted back under her canines. "Why, Damon?" she asked, not bothering to attempt to wipe the blood off of her mouth and chin. "I thought you were going to help me. That was what I needed, she was what I needed. And for about five seconds, I had it. Real blood." she said. "Not blood from a bag. Stefan...he had told me at one point, that fresh blood helps the transition go quicker." she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Is that true?"

"No," Damon replied in a similar, loud, forceful tone. He knew what it was like, to need the blood and nothing else. To only be focused on having the best thing in the world. In that moment, nothing else matters, only having the delicious liquid, which makes you want more and more no matter how much you feed. That is what the first time you feed felt like. And to have it taken from you wouldn't be good. He knew that. But what choice did he have? She'd have killed Meredith. There is no control at that stage, not when you were that young, that hungry for only one thing; blood, blood, and more blood. "I will not let you go. Not until you get control of yourself. Got it?"

When she finally turned back to normal Elena, Damon let her wiggle out, watching her, sighing at her words. "I did it because you would have killed her, Elena. Just like Stefan killed our Father when he turned. Just like I killed the girl that he made me drink from. The first time you feed, if nobody stops you, you can't make yourself finish feeding until it is too late. It's Meredith, Elena. I had no choice." He took a step forward, closing in on her. Hesitantly, he reached out, taking her hand in his. "And also, because...I love you. I couldn't let you kill her. Human Elena would never do that. It's Meredith. You'd have been horrified. You might have been turned, but you are still in there somewhere. You just have to find it. Find your humanity. I know it's there. You just need to adjust." The vampire smiled slightly, reaching up to gently brush his fingers across her cheek. "You're still Elena...just a little more badass."

At her question about the blood, Damon hesitated for a moment, before sighing. "It is. And you will feed from a human, soon. I will take you. You can pick one out. Feed a little. Then I will teach you about compulsion. But first, you have to promise, that you will stop when I tell you to. Human Elena hated me when I killed anyone from feeding. I won't let you just kill them. Take what you need, and compel them. The likelihood is, you're already fully turned. Not much is needed to complete the transition."

Elena let a small sigh escape her lips, Damon did have a point though. Human Elena would have been mortified, she never would hurt someone. Though this Elena, she was different, and she felt as if he didn't understand that. "No." she said firmly, catching his attention suddenly. "No, that Elena's gone, Damon." she said, taking a moment to wipe the blood off her chin and mouth. "The Elena that you knew? She was human. She breathed, she had a heartbeat. A pulse. She was alive." she said, biting back the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. "She's gone, Damon. She's nowhere in sight. As much as you try to convince yourself that somewhere deep down, she's still there, that's where you're wrong. She's gone and she's not coming back." she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

Glancing around the hospital she noticed that the corridor they were in had grown eerily silent. She gnawed at her lower lip for a few moments, before she examined her nails, anything to keep her eyes off of him. Something clicked, then. A memory, it was faint, and coming in bits and pieces, but she could make it out. Just barely. _'Maybe you and I had met first…' _Her exact words from earlier, ringing in her mind. Something was telling her that she had, that she had met him first. "It was you..." she said suddenly, looking up at him. "That night...at the party. You were the guy on the road, and then my parents came and got me…" she suddenly became angered. "_You made me forget. You made me forget_, _Damon_." she shouted. "Why? Why would you do that!" she growled, now inches in front of him.

Damon didn't agree. He wanted to argue with her, tell her that even if she wasn't alive anymore, her humanity was in here, just that she needed to wait for a while, and then to find it again. It was half true - she wasn't human Elena, but she would eventually get back at least some of her humanity. But the vampire himself knew what it was like, to be in this state of mind. Newly turned, believing you would never get even a shadow of your former self back. There would be no reasoning with her, especially not with all those emotions going into overdrive, with everything confusing and new. He couldn't really blame her. "Maybe so. It doesn't change how I feel for you, you know. You might not be human Elena, or alive. You don't have a heartbeat. But nothing will change how I feel. And everyone else won't feel differently, either. Your friends. Jeremy. Stefan - though I can't really speak for him, but I assume it will be the same. You're lucky in a way, in that, unlike most, you can keep some of your human roots, because everyone who matters knows about what we are. About what _you_ are. It isn't all lost," Damon said, wiping away one of her tears gently.

At her words, Damon frowned, not understanding for a while. As soon as it clicked though, he prepared himself, not knowing how she would react. And as it was, she didn't take it well. "Why do you think?" he asked, shaking his head. "When I first met you, I was only here for Katherine. I thought you were her, and then we started to talk. I had no idea who you were. I didn't even know you. I compelled you to start with, simply because if you mentioned to anybody, and it somehow got back to Stefan, or anyone really, my plans with Katherine wouldn't have worked. And why I didn't tell you after, when I got to know you, when I fell in love with you? So you could be happy. You were so set on being with Stefan because you and he had met first. If I told you, it would only confuse things more. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I can understand why you are angry, and I wanted to tell you, so much. But I couldn't. I just wanted you to be happy. I still do."

"You wanted me to be happy?" Elena asked with an arched brow, as she leaned back against the wall. "Someone that wants me to be happy, shouldn't have made me forget something like that." she retorted icily. "And Stefan? I bet you anything, he never would've known. Back then, before the accident? I still kept to myself, and I guess it got worse afterwards." she frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together in frustration. "The thing is, Damon...now that I remember that? I remember everything." she said, watching him. Her eyes raked over his body for a moment, finally landing on his eyes. "I remember, what a monster you were. How you fed on people just for the hell of it, and tossing them off to the side when you were done. When they were of no more use to you." she saw the look on his face, and took a step closer.

"I also remember how sweet you were, _are_," she said, her finger gently caressing his cheek. " You're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be. We all have good, and bad in us." she sighed, her lips forming in a tight line. "Even I do. It's just going to take a while accepting it. Accepting everything, who I am, what I am." she looked back up at him. "I also remember the first time, you told me you loved me." her eyes bore into his. "And you have no idea how...badly I wanted to say it back, how badly I just wanted to kiss you. But I didn't. Why? I was loyal to Stefan at the time, I couldn't hurt him like that." she finished. The silence between them grew and she spoke again, " I understand what you did, why you made me forget. I'm not happy with it, but I'll get over it." she inched her head a bit closer. "Close your eyes," she instructed carefully. Once he did, she leaned forward a bit more, her lips gently touching his in a sweet, chaste kiss.

"All I have ever wanted for you was happiness. I mean that, Elena. Even back then. I told you I wanted you to get everything you were looking for, remember? Passion. Adventure. Even a little danger. How ironic." Damon sighed, hating the way this was going. "Stefan came here, for you. When I saw you...it brought everything back. And it wasn't just you looking like Katherine that drew me in. I liked you, for who you were. But still, I didn't know you. Had no idea of the real you. I was still set on Katherine, until I found out the truth. But you...you made it better. As I got to know you, I realized there could be someone else. Someone else who truly understood me. Of course, like with Katherine, Stefan got there first." When she spoke about remembering everything else, the vampire raised his head a little. She remembered, everything. So that meant... That night. Telling her he loved her. She remembered. It was the faintest, smallest glimmer of hope. Hope that she wouldn't always hate him. That all was not lost. But then, the mention of him being a monster knocked it all down.

Damon had been about to speak, to try to come up with even the feeblest of excuses, when she stepped forward, speaking again. The touch to his cheek had a shiver jolting down his spine, one of only pleasure. Just her, close to him, even in small intimacy like that, was enough to send his senses haywire. It was where he felt most at home, the closest someone like he could ever get. When she mentioned that night, he glanced at her uncertainly, unsure how she would take it. But then her words changed it all; changed everything. She'd wanted to kiss him back. To say she loved him too. Did she, then? None of this 'caring' about him rubbish? She loved him? It didn't even seem like a possibility...but maybe it was. "I didn't want you to forget it. Any of it. Meeting me first. Telling you I loved you...especially not that. I just..." He trailed off, as she continued to talk. Hearing her say she understood why he acted that way meant everything. The vampire willingly closed his eyes, knowing that in that moment, he'd do anything she asked. When her lips met his, Damon kissed her back. Something in the back of his mind shouted how wrong it was, when she'd just turned, but he didn't stop. It just /felt/ right. It was.

Amidst it all, the kiss somehow turned into a much different one, deeper and certainly not just a gentle brush of their lips against one another. Although it wasn't as full on as the one in Denver - oh, how he wished Jeremy hadn't walked in! - it was just as full of feeling. Damon's arm wrapped around her waist naturally, one hand rested on her cheek. They were engrossed; too engrossed, even, to notice a certain somebody having walked up on them.

"Damon, what - E-Elena?" The horrified and confused voice was unmistakable; Stefan had returned at last.


	3. Chapter 3: Wounded

Chapter Three: Wounded.

**_A/n: Hey guys! First off I - well, we, really - want to say a big thank you for the response so far. I almost died of shock when I came on and saw this story has over 1,000 reads already. So thank you, so much! The first real signs of the main plot come in this chapter, so enjoy. Stefan's part is written by myself - not brilliantly, as I am not used to playing him, but still. Let us know what you think. :D_**

Their lips met, and Elena felt a small spark run down her spine, throughout her body, and tingle in her fingers. As his arm wrapped around her waist, she could've sworn she felt another presence nearby. Suddenly, they were apart. Both gasping for air, that neither needed, and faces horror struck. A hand flew up to cover her gaping mouth, as she saw Stefan standing in front of them. "Stefan...I...oh my god." she said, unable to get a complete sentence out. Her train of thought was going haywire, and she wasn't sure what to do. Stand there, and stick up for what she and Damon had. If they technically even 'had' anything, or run over to Stefan and play the blame game, and act like she hated Damon. She was lost, confused, and her heightened emotions were of no help to her. "Stefan...please...let...let me explain." she said, moving an inch or so towards him.

He flinched, and she noticed that. Stefan had never been so uneasy around her, and now he was acting if they were complete strangers. Maybe it was because he had, for once, finally saw Elena and Damon kissing. There had been other incidents, of course, but Stefan never physically saw them himself, only heard them. Raking a hand through her hair, she glanced back at Damon who had a soft hint of her lipstick stained onto his lips, she then looked back at Stefan. She stood in between the two brothers and let out a small sigh escape her. What was she to do now? She loved Damon, but she also loved Stefan. Though she had confessed to Damon only moments ago she had loved him, that it had always been him. Hadn't it always been Stefan? A small growl rippled through her, as she picked apart her brain, trying to make sense of it all.

"I need to talk to you." Elena said, grabbing Stefan's hand and pulling him down the corridor some, stopping when they were out of earshot of Damon. Her eyes searched his, though she felt like she wasn't talking to Stefan, more to a statue. "Stefan..Stefan, talk to me." she pleaded.

When Elena pulled away, at first, Damon wasn't sure what was going on. He panicked, thinking she'd changed her mind, that he had taken things a stretch too far - again. But as the voice registered and he followed Elena's gaze, the vampire realized everything that was going on, instantly letting go of the girl when all he wanted to do was hold her forever, be touching her, doing /anything/. But not now. Not when Stefan, as always, had ruined it all, just like every moment with him and Elena. Stefan, even if he wasn't physically there, always managed to drive a wedge between them, somehow or another.

Stefan himself seemed to be shocked. It wasn't just his brother and Elena kissing - though after she'd 'chosen' him, he didn't understand that. No, instead, it was something else. Because Elena...was dead. Or had been. He himself had sat there, over her lifeless body, deep in remorse and grief. But then, did that mean...? No. She couldn't be. Elena, his Elena, was not a vampire. She couldn't be.

Stefan did flinch, completely unprepared for this. He couldn't get his head around this. If she was a vampire, then how? They hadn't shared blood. Unless it was... "You bastard!" he burst out suddenly, looking to Damon. "You fed her blood again, didn't you? How could you, Damon?" Stefan didn't have time to reply, before he was being dragged away, still half in a numb, vacant mode, and half angry at Damon, angry at everything. "You aren't Elena. Elena is dead. Now you're one of us. A monster. And he..he did it. Why did you drink it, Elena? Why would you do that? Damon's blood...well. Blood sharing is meant for people in love, people who are always going to be together. People who love each oth-" He paused, revelation striking him. "You do. You do love him. All this time, making your 'decision', you've been with Damon. And you didn't think to tell me, even when we had endless conversations about the topic..."

Elena watched the scene in front of her for a few moments, and then she was brought of her thoughts. She was some way down the corridor with Stefan. He thought Damon had done this? She shook her head, she knew the truth. It wasn't Damon. "Stefan, Stop. Stop it." she said, gripping his shoulders firmly. Finally she got him to look at her, "Hey...calm down." she said soothingly, watching him. He was upset, anyone could see that and she felt terrible. She was the one that caused it, she had caused most of the things in Mystic Falls though, so this was nothing new to her. The familiar sting of tears in the back of her eyes suddenly became clear to her, she wasn't going to cry. She was done being weak. "I'm not a monster, Stefan." she growled, hurt that he'd say that.

"I'm not a monster. If anyone here is a monster, it's you." she responded coldly. "I searched for you an entire Summer, and then you treated me like dirt. Do you know how long I had to wait for the old you to come back? A long while. And I'll be damned if your calling me a monster. Have you even...looked at your own reflection lately?" she growled. Suddenly something in her demeanor changed, and she titled her head to the side slightly.

"Damon wasn't the one to give me blood." she said. "It was Meredith. When I came in earlier with Jeremy, I had a brain hemorrhage. Bleeding on the brain. Meredith helped me, Stefan. Not Damon." she said, moving a bit closer to him. "What you saw, just then? That wasn't me. That was...Vampire Elena, and Vampire Elena...she feels differently. She feels something for Damon. The Elena that you know? She's gone, she's the one that died. The human Elena." she said gently, trying not to hurt him. "I...I'm sorry, Stefan." she leaned over gently and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry for putting both you and Damon through hell, causing so much death, hurting so many people. I'm sorry for hurting you." her gaze cast at the ground. "I did love you, I did. Now? Now...everything's just so crazy, and I don't know what to do. What to feel...I just...I rea-.." she was cut off by the sobs that slowly had begun to take over her small frame, making her shake and tremble. "I'm sorry." she kept muttering between sobs.

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? You died! You died, and now you're back, and kissing Damon, and it was him who made you like this, like us!" Stefan exclaimed. He shook his head, completely having lost control of his emotions now. When she spoke again, he narrowed his eyes. "Oh, alright, Elena. You searched for me. Sure. You might have done so, but are you forgetting something? You had Damon. You always wanted to tell me when something happened between you, but I bet you've been doing this for months. Probably been exchanging blood, and - and...shagging each other, this whole time, when I was with Klaus, which I did to save my brother's life, and this is how he repaid me! How _you_ repaid me! And don't tell me what to call you. You are a monster, and always will be, now. An eternity of this. Get used to it." He was being harsh, the vampire knew that, but he didn't care. All the emotions he had experienced in the past night were all coming out at once, making him about ready to explode. When Elena began to speak again though, calmer this time, he blinked, relaxing a little.

Stefan listened as she spoke, with a look of disbelief on his face. All at once, he realized he had overreacted, but couldn't quite feel guilty about it - she and Damon deserved it, he decided. Even without human blood, it seemed Ripper Stefan was rearing its head again. When she spoke about what he saw, he stiffened again, and flinched when she kissed his cheek. He couldn't even feel sorry for her, when she began to cry. "If this is vampire Elena, fine. But I want nothing to do with her. I will go and grieve over human Elena. You're not her. Not my Elena. Elena, my love, died. You are nothing to me. Nothing!" he spat. The vampire shook his head, fuming. "The water works won't help, either. Go run crying to Damon. I'm sure he's brilliant at comforting you by now." With that, Stefan turned on his heel and walked out.

Within a few moments, Damon had appeared, looking livid. It was clear he had caught most of their conversation. Right now though, he couldn't waste time being angry at his brother. Elena needed him. Damon wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him, stroking her hair softly. "Hey. Don't cry. He isn't worth it. You heard him. He wants nothing more to do with you. His Elena died. Let him go and grieve, then. Fine. It's his time being wasted. But you have your whole afterlife now, to do whatever you want - _be_ whoever you want. It's his loss, Elena, not yours."

Elena felt the familiar sting of his words hit her, and she wanted to let more tears spill over. She couldn't though, not in front of Stefan. Or at least...the Stefan she once knew. Raking a hand through her hair she just listened, and let him deliver blow after blow. Finally the silence came, the only noise that could be heard was his footsteps fading down the hall. Suddenly the strong scent of cologne filled her senses, and a strong arm was wrapped protectively around her. She knew it was Damon before he even spoke, and she let her head rest against his chest, the tears that had threatened to spill over earlier now coming down like a waterfall.

"No.." Elena said, her voice hoarse and raspy. "It's not okay." she said, looking up at him. Her eyes were all red and puffy from her tears. "I hurt him...and he had every right to do that to me. And...he did." she whispered. "I know..I know I should let him go, and I am. I just wish his words didn't hurt as much as they do." she frowned. Glancing up at him, her hand found his and they intertwined. "I just...I know that I'm going to be okay. For a while now, because I've got you to help me."

Damon continued to stroke her hair gently, hating what his brother had done to her more and more with each passing second. He just wanted to take all of this away from her, somehow, to not have her have to suffer through all this pain. Stefan had been more of an idiot than usual, this time, and it looked like he might have gone too far this time. The vampire shook his head as he looked down at Elena, tucking a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear.

"He didn't have a right to say things that he did. There's being upset and acting out, and then there's being needlessly harsh," he informed, gently wiping away a few of her tears, which still seemed to be flowing in currents down her cheeks. It wasn't surprising, though - Stefan's words were harsh for anyone, let alone a newly turned vampire with heightened and confused emotions. So much had already happened, that it really wasn't surprising that Elena was breaking down now.

"Then let him go. I know it won't be easy _- isn't_ easy - but it's the best thing. If he wants nothing more to do with you, then..." Damon trailed off, feeling her hand find his, before giving it a gentle squeeze. At her words though, the vampire almost felt himself melt inside - something incredibly cliché and unlike his usual personality. Still, that was the effect Elena had on him.

"You'll have me for as long or as little as you wish. And if there ever comes a time when you do send me away, know I will be waiting to come straight back if you ever need me. Even if a century has passed, or even more than two; know that my heart will _always _belong to you." The vampire continued to embrace her, sighing as he rested his forehead on the top of her head. "We should probably get back to your room - and give Meredith a call, so she knows it's safe. Newly turned vampires sometimes feeling a little ill - more often than not, it is simply being extremely tired from it all, especially if you use up energy in other ways, like emotionally. You need to rest for going hunting. Besides, I want you to have a few more blood bag feeds first, anyway. That way you will have control." Damon paused, eyes searching hers. "I know you have a lot of things to think about, but now, for a few hours, just...try to think of them as little as possible. Relax. Cry, if you want. Whatever, as long as it helps even for a temporary amount of time."

Elena sighed heavily, letting his words sink in. He was right, though she felt like Stefan was right. His words had hurt her, and she never thought Stefan would ever hurt her; in that sense at least. Glancing up at him she nodded, putting on a poker face she grinned up at Damon. "Yeah, your right. Some rest will do me some good." she said as they began the walk back towards her room. Once settled down into her room, and Damon had left to go and speak with Meredith she glanced around the room, looking for something, anything that was sharp and or pointed. Finally, she found something, it must have dropped onto the floor when Damon had punched it earlier.

She knew it wouldn't hurt her, that much, and that it would heal quickly, but she just needed something, anything to get rid of all her problems for a while. Picking it up she noticed that it was a pocket knife, why in the world a pocket knife was in a hospital cabinet, she had no idea. Taking the knife she let the cool metal touch her skin for a moment, and just as she was about to push down into her skin, and watch the blood ooze out from the cut something stopped her. Maybe it was her thoughts, her subconscious, whatever it was it stopped her.

"It can't hurt me though..." she wondered aloud. Though the feeling in her gut told her she could. After several moments she shook it off and pressed the metal of the blade against her skin, this time she pressed down hard, and felt the blade go into her skin and the blood began to leak out slowly. Clearing the blood away for a moment Elena looked at the cut on her arm horror struck, it wasn't healing. Alarmed she reached over and grabbed her phone quickly calling Bonnie.

"Bonnie? Bonnie?" she asked into the phone frantically.

"Elena? What's wrong?" Bonnie responded, alarm filling her voice.

" Do you kno-"

"Stefan told me." she responded.

"Oh. Well...uhm...good. Listen, I don't know what's wrong but, I cut myself." she said, she could hear Bonnie let out a relieved sigh.

"Then you're fine. It should be healing."

She shook her head, "That's the thing, Bonnie. It's not." Both ends of the phone were silent for a moment.

"I...Let me see if I can find anything on this. I'll call you back." her friend responded.

Elena nodded, "Okay. And hurry. Oh, and Bonnie?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Please, don't tell Stefan and Damon, alright?" A soft sigh escaped her friend's lips,

"I won't. Trust me. I have to ask...why though?" Elena shook her head, hearing Damon's footsteps coming back down the hall.

"They just can't know. Okay?" And with that Elena hung up. Quickly she found a few tissues and pressed them on her cut, trying to suppress the bleeding. Getting under the covers she hid one arm, while the other rest casually on her leg, just as Damon walked in.

Although she tried to put on a smile, Elena couldn't help but get the feeling that something was wrong; very, very wrong.


	4. Chapter 4: Confusion

**_A/n; another chapter guys. :D You finally get to find out what's wrong with Elena! This and the next few chapters are where things get really interesting…and hey, who knows, there might end up being a bit of smut very soon. Hot vamp sex is on the way. ;D As well as some very exciting plots, of course. Trisha and I are really excited about this, and as we have already roleplayed out about five chapters worth ahead, we know how epic it gets. Thanks for continuing to read! We love you all, please let us know what you think! Oh, and thanks to the person who gave some feedback with the paragraphs thing; totally my fault there, so I have tried to separate them more now. Enjoy c:_**

Chapter Four: Confusion.

Once he was sure Elena was settled and okay, Damon went off to find Meredith, who was thankfully okay. He'd gotten Elena off her quickly enough to not bring any permanent damage. After talking to her for a while and explaining everything - including about Stefan, although omitting the bit where he'd walked in on them kissing - he got given a large cooler of blood bags, enough for them both. At least it meant he and Elena could get some rest and time alone in the room, and not have to worry about going out to find someone to feed on. Elena would want to feed properly eventually, but for tonight at least they could just get some rest. The vampire didn't know what was going to happen - with the rest of the Originals etc. and their other numerous problems, nor with him and Elena - but for tonight at least would they just focus on relaxing.

After giving Meredith strict orders to let nobody up, even if they were Jeremy or Elena's friends, without asking first, Damon headed back up to the room, his feeding bags in hand. The corridor was deserted, which was perfect - no surrounding rooms with lots of humans, most of whom would probably be bleeding in some way, to tempt Elena. When he walked into her room, he smiled, although it did seem like she moved quickly. Still, he shook it off, thinking he was perhaps being a bit too suspicious. She was now a vampire, after all - he was much too used to her being a slow human. "Hey," Damon greeted, walking in, moving to sit in the chair beside her bed. He examined her carefully, unsure what to say. At least she wasn't crying...

Elena looked up, Damon sat down next to her and she shifted a bit uncomfortably, though not enough for him to notice. Underneath the sheets she pressed the towel onto the cut again, still trying to stop the bleeding. It hadn't stopped, and the last she had checked was right before Damon had walked in. Well, she couldn't tell him, he'd flip out. What if it was something serious? Where was Bonnie when she needed her? Those thoughts raced through her mind at a mile per minute, finally when her phone vibrated on the table next to the bed she jumped slightly. "Sorry…I was thinking." she said sheepishly to Damon.

With her free hand she leaned over and grabbed her phone, seeing it was a text from Bonnie. Mentally, she let out a sigh of relief. _Thank god_, she thought. Opening up the text she quickly read the small print on the screen:

_Elena, I know what's wrong. You're just not going to like it. It's hard to explain but you need to tell Damon, or someone. Otherwise, things could get bad. According to the Grimoire, since you've technically cheated death so many times, that now that you've actually died and are a vampire? There are consequences. Basically nature's way of punishing you. Even though you're a vampire, and you crave blood which is a necessity for you now ,you can easily get hurt. Which explains why your cut is bleeding. Basically, you're a human without a heartbeat, fangs, and feeds on blood, but you are able to survive. There's nothing vampire about you besides the fangs._

If Elena's face could pale, it would have at that moment. She looked at Damon, he didn't seem too suspicious. "Uhm...there's something I've got to tell you." she said nervously.

Damon continued to watch her. She seemed really spaced out. Then again, who could blame her? After everything that had happened...well, it was a lot to take in. Even he couldn't really believe it had all happened, so much had gone on. He just sat back, wishing he could know what to say to make it better. There wasn't anything, though. She'd died, turned into a vampire - something she had never wanted - kissed Damon, been caught by Stefan, and then he'd been an absolute idiot to her. It was hardly surprising she seemed more than a little out of it.

He jumped too as the phone rang, and just smiled at her words, glad she had at least spoken to him - acknowledged his existence, even. Then again, it was no wonder she was thinking. "Don't worry about it," Damon replied, giving a small smile in return. "You've got a lot to think about." He leant back in his chair as she reached for her phone, though his gaze never left hers. It meant he saw every single emotion that registered upon her face, as her eyes scanned the phone. The vampire had been about to ask her if there was something wrong, when she spoke herself.

Instantly, he was sat up straighter, arching an eyebrow. "What? What is it, Elena? Tell me," he urged, reaching out and placing his hand on top of her covered one which, unbeknownst to him, was on the end of the same arm she'd injured - the very thing she was about to tell him about. The thing was though, Damon had no idea what it was. What could be wrong? Clearly, it had something to do with the text she'd received, but...

A small shiver ran down Elena's spine, could she tell him? No, she had to. There was no other option. "Just promise me, you won't get upset." she said carefully, choosing her words. When his hand rest on hers, that was on the same arm she had cut herself earlier she stiffened. No, this was all too much. "Damon, I...I don't really know how to explain this." she began, swallowing thickly. " When you left to go talk to Meredith, it all became too much," she said, shoving the blanket off she rolled up her sleeve slowly, revealing the cut and the blood that continuously was oozing from it.

She quickly pressed the towel back on it. "And I know, I thought that since I'm a vampire, it would've healed. We both thought that. As in, Bonnie and I. I called her." she said, frowning.

"Here comes the bad part. You ready?" she asked, looking at him. When Damon simply nodded she took a deep breath. "The text I got just now? That was Bonnie." she paused, taking a moment to take everything in. "She said that since, I've technically cheated death so many times, now that I've actually died, this is nature's way of restoring balance and punishing me." she frowned. "And that basically, I can still get hurt, I can still...die. Not just by a stake, by any other way that a human can die. She also said that the only thing vampire about me is the fangs and blood drinking." she looked at him, and he looked horror stricken. "I'm sorry.." she whispered. "I..I don't know what to do an-" suddenly she winced in pain, her hand flew to where the cut was. "Holy shit!" she cursed. She looked up at Damon, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "It really hurts."

Here it comes, Damon thought. She was going to say something about him, and Stefan. Tell him that things still wouldn't work about between them - that she still loved Stefan despite everything, or something. He'd anticipated it. He simply nodded, agreeing not to get upset, bracing himself. When she began to speak though, he frowned. Soon, everything was explained, as she removed her arm from under the sheets, and showed him the cut. The vampire's eyes widened. She'd done this? She'd hurt herself? But then, logic caught up, meaning his trail of thought matched her words. She was a vampire, she should heal... At the mention of Bonnie, his heart sank. It was witch related, then. That could _not _be a good sign. It never was, he'd learnt. Especially not when it came down to Elena. Nothing was ever simple with her, in any aspect of the word.

Damon listened as she explained everything, and felt everything come crashing down around him. She was a vampire, in that she had fangs and drank blood - but she was mortal? Didn't have super strength, or speed? No mind compulsion? It was almost like she had every slightly good part of being a vampire taken away, and every bad aspect remained. And, it meant that after all of this, she still wasn't safe. He barely allowed himself to believe it was real. It couldn't be. Yet, everything made sense, and as much as he disliked her, Bonnie knew what she was talking about…

Everything disappeared as soon as Elena let out a cry. The vampire could see how much it was hurting her, and instantly wanted to help. Standing up, Damon began to rummage through the various drawers etc., looking for things to help. It was a hospital, after all.

He soon returned with some supplies, gingerly taking her arm and examining it with a deep frown. "We probably need to clean the wound before anything else. Really, it needs stitches, but I can't do that. I've learnt enough over the last century and a half to hold it for tonight - we can see what Meredith thinks if it is still bad tomorrow. What did you use to cut yourself?" Damon still couldn't really believe she'd harmed herself, but then, even if she wasn't a total vampire, she would still have double the emotions, so it wasn't surprising.

Elena sighed heavily, she'd gotten it out, into the open. See, it wasn't that hard. She frowned when he asked why she'd done it, and then moments later, what she had used. "There..." she pointed to the drawer. The drawer is where she had stashed the knife, when Damon pulled out the blood stained knife, Elena wrinkled her nose. Suddenly, feeling very self conscious.

"I'm sorry." she kept repeating, feeling as if she said it enough he'd believe it and accept it. She felt as if Damon was going to be mad at her, hate her, and maybe even stake her. She wasn't sure why she was feeling like this, but she was. Instead she sighed aloud, "Alright. Maybe...we can talk to Meredith tonight?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly. "I mean...I don't think this can wait until tomorrow, Damon. It's really deep." she frowned at the words that had come out of her own mouth.

She felt like she was disappointing him. Like she herself, was a disappointment. "I'm sorry," she began rambling. "I just...everything, it was all too much. Turning, hurting Meredith, kissing you, Stefan catching us, all of it. I couldn't take it anymore." she said, feeling tears prick in the back of her eyes.

Elena took a deep breath and bit her tongue slightly, willing herself not to cry. Not again. "And so...I just needed to get rid of all the worry, pain, and heartache. Then I found the knife...and I just...I got lost in it all. And I'm so, so, sorry." she said, sitting up to look at him now. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she repeated, her cheeks now flushed red as she grew a bit warmer. Her phone vibrated again, it was Bonnie with another text.

_Elena, hurry and get that checked out. Otherwise I can't help you until further notice, and if you don't get it checked? You could spike a fever and become ill._ Elena read the text, then quickly handed Damon the phone so that he could see it. "Help me." she whispered, feeling helpless.

When Damon saw she'd used a pocket knife, he let out a small sigh. That could not be a good thing - it was probably full of germs, which could spread in the cut and make her sick. His blue eyes examined the cut closer, wincing as he saw how deep it was. "You're right," he agreed, meeting her gaze as she spoke. "I really think we need to get Meredith up here to sort you out. Looks like it'll need cleaning, stitching, and bandaging. I'll just quickly put a dressing on to keep the blood back while I go find her."

The vampire very carefully put a pad on top of her wound, holding it in place while he wound a bandage around. It was still bleeding, and began to soak the bandage slightly already, but at least it would do until he could get Meredith up here.

Damon looked up as she began to speak, and shook his head, placing his hand on her good arm. "Hey. Shh, Elena. It's okay. Believe me, I get it. I know what it's like to be self-destructive. When I go out, get drunk, sleep with and feed off women, if something goes wrong? That's not really any different to what you did. Physically, I don't hurt myself, but internally I do."

When she continued to apologize and get herself worked up, Damon held up a hand, before moving to sit next to her on the bed, budging her up slightly, putting an arm around her. "Don't apologize. Stop getting yourself upset. It doesn't matter, okay? It happened, and it's over. Don't worry about it." When she showed him the text, and asked for his help, he let out a sigh, before nodding. He realized how warm she was then, and put a hand to her forehead. "You're burning up like mad," Damon said, looking worried. "I'll text Meredith to come up here. I'm not leaving you." He did as he said, before sitting back against the bed, letting his hand gently stroke her hair, trying to calm her down and comfort her at the same time.

Elena sighed, she and Damon had been sitting on her bed now just talking. It seemed as if it had been an hour maybe two, but in reality it had only been a few minutes. Her fever must have spiked up even more because Elena soon found herself becoming slightly delirious. The only thing that made her slightly feel better was the fact that Damon was there, comforting her, stroking her hair ever so gently. "Damon?" she spoke suddenly, catching his attention. He blinked momentarily, and she wondered if maybe he had dozed off. "Do you think I'm going to die?" she asked, now reaching her other hand over to hold his gently.

She momentarily let her head fall back against the pillow, a sigh escaping her lips. "You know.,." she said, beginning to ramble once more. "Sometimes, I just wish that maybe it would have been better, if.." she paused, glancing at her hands for a moment. Her gaze then shifted to the wall across from them, as her eyes bore into it. "If I had never met you two...maybe then...things would have been all rainbows and sunshine." she said, a small giggle escaping her lips. Being that it was, Elena never usually spoke like this, so in her mindset, she figured it was just the fever talking. " Hm. La la la! LA!" she said, smirking, glancing over at Damon.

Damon did jump a little when she spoke, because of the silence. He blinked, looking down at her. When she spoke, he looked alarmed. "No! Of course not, Elena. I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you, okay? Just relax." His brow furrowed in concern, realizing how out of it she was. She was getting warmer and warmer, and he could see she wasn't quite all there, wasn't quite on the same planet as everyone else - not entirely, at least. He was examining her face carefully, not liking the way she was looking. She was clearly getting sicker by the minute. Where on earth was Meredith?

Damon stroked the hand that held his, trying to comfort her. When she began to talk, rambling on, he frowned again, wondering where she was going. When she mentioned what it would be like if she'd never met them, he looked indignant, before logic caught up with him. She was ill. She didn't mean it. When she spoke about sunshine and rainbows, before almost singing, it just confirmed his suspicions. "You're sick, Elena. You don't know what you're talking about. Just relax. Meredith will be here soon, sort your wound out and give you some medicine to make you feel better."

Elena sighed softly, and nodded. "Haha, okay." she said giggling. Finally, after twenty or so more minutes of talking Meredith arrived.

"She doing okay?" Meredith asked as she walked in, taking a look at Elena's arm. "The cut's pretty deep. A few stitches and a bandage should help. I'll also give her some medication. Then you can take her home. Just keep giving her the meds every hour on the dot and she should be fine by Friday, at the latest." she said, matter of factly. Within ten minutes Meredith had Elena's wound stitched and bandaged, she glanced at the clock. It was almost dawn. "You need to get her home, quickly." she suggested, having no idea of the conversation Elena and Damon had, had earlier.

~*~

Soon enough, what with all the medication and everything Elena found herself slowly waking up, except this time they were no longer in the hospital. Instead, she found herself in Damon's bedroom, resting on his bed. Blinking her eyes to get rid of the sleep that threatened to pull her back under, she sat up slowly, looking around. The curtains were drawn shut though from the looks of it, it was now daylight. On the bedside table next to the bed Elena's phone sat blinking from missed calls and texts. Looking around she found that Damon was nowhere in sight. "Damon?" she called out. "Damon?"

Damon let out a small sigh, eyes on her constantly, filled with obvious worry. When Meredith came in he listened and nodded, holding Elena's hand as the wound was stitched and bandage. When he looked at her next, she'd fallen asleep - or passed out, was more accurate. Collecting medicine, new bandages and blood bags from the doctor, the vampire soon picked Elena up gingerly, holding her like she was fragile. Really, that wasn't far from the truth. Yes, she was a vampire now, but in many ways, still a human. He got her in the car and home just before the sun came up, settling her in his large bed.

At the time that Elena awoke, Damon had only just left her side. He had sat with her the rest of the time, but soon felt an aching in his jaw, showing how starving he was. It had been much too long since he'd fed. Although he would prefer it fresh, the vampire just used one of the blood bags downstairs. After, he sat for a while, and soon dozed off - it had been a day and a half since he had slept at all. However, her call awoke him instantly.

Damon blinked, before rushing upstairs. "Elena. You're awake. How do you feel?" he asked, examining her pale skin and frail body. "Shit!" he cursed. "You're supposed to have medication every hour. I fell asleep..." Damon trailed off, before guiding her back under the covers. "You stay there, and let me get you some medication. Meredith said you're on bed rest until you are better. How do you feel? Are you thirsty?" Damon examined her face meaningfully, before touching a hand to her cheek. "You're warm," he murmured, but didn't pull his hand away.

Finally, Damon had come back up in the room. By the looks of it, Elena could tell he must have fed and gotten some sleep because he looked better than he had earlier. "Damon, I'm fine. Really." she said, in answer to all of his questions. His hand still lingered on her cheek, and gingerly she leaned into it. "Oh, the only reason I'm up was because of a dream I had. Fever didn't rise, I'm not in pain. In fact, I'm perfectly fine." she said, more so trying to reassure herself of it though. She hadn't been lying about the dream, it had terrified her. So much, that she had to prevent herself from letting out a yelp of fear when she woke up. Glancing up at Damon now their eyes met.

"I'm hoping you slept? And maybe fed, while I was out cold?" she said, a small grin coming to her lips. She wasn't sure why she was feeling well all of the sudden, but she was and it was a good feeling. Glancing at her phone she sighed, "How many missed calls and texts from Bonnie this time?" she mumbled to herself as she grabbed the phone and opened it up. One text in particular caught her attention.

"_Elena! I think I found a cure. As in, it'll make you a complete vampire, like you should. Strength, speed, everything. Just trust me on this, go and talk to Tyler._ Elena re-read the text about two times before nodding, "We need to go and find Tyler." she said confidently, looking up at Damon.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Damon asked, gently rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "You still need to take your medication, and get some rest, at least for a while. You're still weak - I can see it." At the mention of her dream, he examined her face. It was obvious whatever she dreamed about had frightened her. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," he whispered guiltily. He had meant to feed, then return. Instead, he'd fallen asleep. "Bad or strange dreams are a side effect of a fever. Meredith told me some things to expect. You're still showing some signs. You might feel better, but you aren't totally."

The vampire gingerly lifted her bad arm, eyes scanning it. "We need to change your bandage too, I think. How is it feeling? Meredith dosed you up on meds a lot, so hopefully you'll not be in too much pain, but she said even pills won't shut it out totally. I just wished I'd..." Damon trailed off. What did he wish? That he had stayed by her constantly, so she couldn't hurt herself? Talked to her, help her emotions out another way? It might not be his fault...but he felt it was, somehow.

At her question, Damon gave a small smile. "I fed and ended up falling asleep. I didn't get much of either, though, but I am fine. It's you we should be worrying about. You want to feed?"

He watched as she began to look through her texts, mind wandering to everyone else. What did Stefan do, after storming out of the hospital? Did everyone else know about Elena? What was Caroline up to, now her Hybrid - the one she actually loved back, unlike the now deceased Klaus -was dead? Talking of...

At Elena's words, Damon arched an eyebrow. She must be confused, he thought. Maybe hallucinating. "One, we're going nowhere right now, until you're a little stronger. And two...well, Elena…" He trailed off, examining her face worriedly.

"Elena, Tyler…he's dead."


End file.
